Mechanical device for relamping fluorescent fixtures



MECHANICAL DEVICE FOR RELAMPING FLUORESCENT FIXTURES L. MARGOLIS March13, 1951 Filed 001;. 8, 1946 Lozzz'a 2%? Patented Mar. 13, 1951 OFFICEMECHANICAL DEVICE FOR RELAMPIN G FLUORESCENT FIXTURES Louis Margolis,Washington, D. 0.

Application October 8. 1946, Serial No. 701,925

2 Claims. (Cl. 294-20) This invention relates to a mechanical device forremoving and installing fluorescent lamps in the fixtures therefor.

The use of fluorescent lamps has become quite widespread incommercial'and other types of dwellings and there are'many types ofinstallations in which the lamps are fixed to the ceiling a considerabledistance from the floor, thus requiring a ladder or stand to reach thelamps for removing and installing them. In factories and other places,it is frequently impractical to use such stands as furniture orequipment may be located at such places as it would be desirable toplace the ladder. Further, the moving of ladders, etc., is verycumbersom and awkward and it is desirable to provide in place ofladders, etc., an extension device to produce the result achieved bypoles and spring-pressed fingers or other devices used on conventionalround incandescent light bulbs.

The poles and lamp removing devices as used on round or substantiallyspherical light bulbs obviously cannot be used or modified to remove theelongated tubular light bulbs used on fluorescent lights, and it is anobject of this invention to provide a means for removing and intion anddetails of construction disclosedin the drawings and specification, andthen more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation, partly broken away and partly in section,of a mechanical device for re-lam'ping fluorescent fixtures constructedaccording to an embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 4-'4 ofFigure 1,

Figure 5 is a bottom plan View of the louvre wrench, t

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the jaws with the starterplug adapters in place; and

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the starter plug adapters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 .7 designates generally adevice for relamping M, of suitable length. The supporting memberstalling fluorescent light bulbs fromfixtures out 7 of normal reach of aperson.

Another object of this invention is to provide a gripping tool which mabe attached to a pole of suitable length for gripping and turning anelongated fluorescent light bulb in its fixture and means at the lowerend of the pole for actuating the gripping tool by an operator.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tool of the kind tobe more particularly described hereinafter, having gripping jaws, forgripping a fluorescent light bulb or similar object, pivotally securedto oneend of a pole, and means for locking the jaws in a selectedpivoted position, the jaws being rockable in their unlocked position forrotating the bulb in its socket.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device of thiskind having an adapter for insertion in the jaws whereby the starterplug may be removed or installed in the fixture and having a wrench foradjusting the louvres of the fixture.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thearrangement combina- I2 is formed with a downwardly extending taperedscrew or bolt l5 which engages securely in the end of the pole M forfixing the member l2 thereon and a short section of tubing or sleeve 16is provided at the upper end of the pole or rod I 4 about the member l2vand pole 4 tohold the pole against splitting and to further secure themember l2 thereon. The supporting member I2 is provided on its upper endwith upwardly extending laterally spaced apart arms I '1, thus forming abifurcated supporting member l2.

- A jaw member I8 is pivotally mounted between the arms I! by a pivotpin or bolt [3 which extends through the arms and is formed with anelongated lever arm IS. The outer end of the lever arm I9 is providedwith a gripping jaw 20 fixed or formed thereon and the rear or inner endof the arm I!) i 'enlarged and shaped in a segmental arcuate plate 2|having annularly spaced apart notches 22 along the periphery.

A second jaw member 24 is pivotally mounted on the first jaw member l8by a pin or bolt 25 which extends through the lever arm 19 and leverarm, 26 of the member 24. A jaw121 is fixed on the outer end of the jawmember 24 confronting the jaw for gripping the light bulb Htherebetween. The lever arm 26 of the jaw member 24 is oifsetintermediate its length, as at 28, and bent at right angles to lieadjacent the arms ll of the base 12 outwardly thereof with the outer endof the arm 26 coincident with the pivot point l3 in the normal positionof the device it. By such an arrangement both arms may be pivoted inunison relative to the rod or handle I4 and the arm 24 may be pivotedrelative to the arm 18 at any position of the arm IS in relation to thehandle M.

The jaw member 24 is rocked about its pivot 25 for gripping the bulb llbetween the jaws 20 and 21 by an operator holding the lower end of thepole 14. A knurled nut 28 is rotatably supported between the arms of aU-shaped supporting plate 29 which is fixed in the lower end of thepole, the arms of which extend outwardly from one side. The nut 28 isrotatably secured by a screw 38 engaging through the lower arm of thesupport 29, the screw 38 being fixed to the nut 28 by a set screw 39engaging through the side of the nut. A square shaft 30 having thecorners thereof threaded to engage in the nut 28 engages through the nutfor sliding motion relative to the pole l4 upon rotation of the nut.

The sliding motion of the shaft 30. is translated to the law member 24by a cable or cord 3! which is fixed at one end of the arm 26 coincidentwith the pivot. l3. A U-s-hapcd clip 32 is secured loosely to the arm26, adjacent the pin 13, by a bolt 34 which extends through the arms ofthe clip 32, one being on each side of the lever 26, and the pivotmember 2.4, and the cable 3| is fixed to the bight of the clip 32; Onearm of the clip 32 extends beyond the member 34 for attaching an end of;a spring 35. The other end of the spring 35 being fixed to the adjacentarm IT by a pin 36 for constantly pulling the lever 26 upwardly and thejaw 21 downwardly to the open position. A pulley 31' is carried by thesupporting member (2 below and forwardly of the pivot l3 over which thecable 3! is trained for reaching the lever 26 from the side of thehandle 14.

A locking lever or rod. 40 is slidablycarried by the rod 14 oppositefrom the. knurled nut 28. and is formed with a looped finger grip orhandle 4! at its lower end. The rod 40 is slidably supported betweenbrackets 42' and 44 and is constantly urged upwardly by a spring 45between the lower bracket 42 and a shoulder 46 r on the rod 40. Theupper end of the rod 40 is flattened as at 41. and is engageable in theslots 22 of the plate 2| for locking the plate 2! and jaw member id inselected position. The slots 22 are so located on the plate 21' that thearm l8 may be locked in a position at substantially right angles to thehandle [8 or in alignment with the handle in the other pivoted andlocked position. By pulling the handle 4! downwardly the end of the rod40 or keeper 41 is pulled from the slot 22 and the arm i8 is free to bemoved to another pivoted position relative to the handle 54.

In the use and operation of this relamping device [0, the jaw member l8will be initially locked in the extended or aligned position by thekeeper 4i, and the jaws 20 and 21 will be opened by rotatin the nut 28.The jaws will then be placed on opposite sides of the lamp II andtightened down by rotating the nut 28 until sufficient force is exertedon the jaw member 24 to grip the tube H securely between the jaws. Thehandle 4| is pulled downwardly then to unlock the jaw member l8, and thebulb II is rotated in its plugs by pushing the handle 14 upwardly andthe jaw member 18 is rotated to its right angular position as shown inFigure l, at which time the bulb H may be readily removed from itsfixture. The installation procedure is obviously performed by reversingthe removal as out-lined above.

Most fixtures for fluorescent lights are equipped with a startin plugwhich is to be replaced from time to time. In order to remove andinstall such plugs in elevated fixtures, an adapter 50 may be used onthi device Hi. The adapter 50 consists of a pair of blocks 5| generallyrectangular in shape, which have a rearwardly extending lug 52 extendingfrom the center of the length of the rear side of each block 5| near theupper edge. The lug 52 is adapted to extend into a bore or recess 54 inthe jaws 20 and 21 for securing the blocks 5| therein. Each block 51 isformed with a forwardly opening semi-circular recess or cut-out 55 onone side of the center line and the cut-outs 55 register with each otherto provide jaws for gripping the starter plug, not shown.

As certain fixtures, as one described in my copending application for afluorescent light fixture, filed of even date herewith, are providedwith pivoted locked closures, and it is desired at certain times to opensaid closures, a key Ell is fixed on the lower end of the rod or handlei4 whereby the pole may be reversed and the key 60, having a slot SI forengaging the closure operating means may be engaged with the lock orlatch therefor.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of constructionherein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview ofthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is I. A relampingdevice of the kind described comprising a handle, a supportin memberfixed on said handle, a lever member pivotally mounted on saidsupporting member, a second lever member pivotally secured between theends thereof to said first lever member and spring pressed to releasedposition, each of said lever members including a gripping jaw on theouter end thereof, said second lever member terminating substantiallyadjacent the pivot point of said first lever member, means for lockingsaid first lever member in selected pivoted position, means for rockingsaid second lever member, said looking means including a spring-pressedlocking member engageable in keeper slots in said first lever member,and an elongated rod on said locking member extending to a pointadjacent the inner end of said handle whereby the latter may bedisengaged by an operator at the lower end of said handle.

2. A relamping device comprising an elongated handle, a pair of earscarried by the outer end of said handle, a lever pivotally securedbetween said ears, a, second lever rockably carried between the endsthereof by said first lever, a gripping jaw carried by each lever,releasable locking means operable from the inner end of said handle andengageable with said first lever for locking the latter in selectedangular posi- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Arthur Apr. 30, 1901 BirkenmaierApr. 12, 1932 Carson Jan. 9, 1945 Beard Jan. 29, 1946 Diver Sept. 23,1947

